All posts filed under: Local Color

Chinatown Sky (above) began with a photograph I took here in Boston in Chinatown. I really liked the curve and shape of this building. I thought it could make for an interesting art subject, but sadly, once I had painted the photograph, I just didn’t find the overall piece interesting enough…

Some days I can’t make my pen go the way I want it to. I can draw the same line over and over again, and it’ll keep veering off course. It takes gnashing of teeth and crossing of eyes to make it work. Other days, no problem. Today was the former, unfortunately, but I did finish the coloring book page with the aerial view of the Boston Medical Center area. I actually prefer a slightly sketchy look. To my eye, it gives character. I don’t think the lines need to be perfectly straight. I started coloring it in because it helps me see the overall drawing better. You might remember the little section of this that I was working on a day or two ago: I had to make a few changes to the Medical Center building, and I added in a lot of other details. Such as more trees, and windows, windows, and more windows. I draw pretty goofy looking cars, I have to admit, but I’m okay with that, too. My South End …

When I first wrote about my South End Boston adult coloring book project, there were not yet adult coloring books cramming book store and art supply store shelves everywhere. Now, quite often there are. It’s been fascinating to watch the craze take hold in the process of making this book.

“Boston Hybrid” (above) joins Boston’s historic Longfellow Bridge to the city’s newer, modern Zakim Bridge. They meet in the middle in an imaginary scene along the Charles River. Why? Let’s rewind to October 2015.

Here’s another free coloring page from my upcoming coloring book of Boston’s South End neighborhood. This scene shows diners waiting outside to get into Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe, a place that served breakfast and lunch in Boston’s South End for 87 years.

For those of you who like to color, here’s a free page from my upcoming coloring book of Boston’s South End neighborhood. This scene shows locals who come out on Monday nights in the summer for salsa dancing in the park.